Telling the Real Fracking Story:

I can’t imagine it’s easy being a journalist these days, tasked with covering the explosive growth of US shale gas and oil (tight oil) drilling, and the even more explosive and ubiquitous claims that these unconventional resources are going to entirely transform the world energy picture and provide the US with energy independence and cheap prices for decades to come. For one thing, the spread of fracking (the colloquial term for the process of multi-stage hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells which makes it possible to tap these previously inaccessible resources) is a relatively new phenomenon, which means that until just recently there hasn’t been a lot of historical performance data to review against claims of future production. For another, taking a critical look at the claims of industry and their boosters almost requires a degree in petroleum and natural gas geolog...